Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Turning to where we are at in the program—and I am sure that we are all keen to pursue the amendments that are set out for this bill—we are up to items 3 and 4, Senator Xenophon's amendments to clause 56, excluding offset projects, which includes the offset reporting period, excluded offset projects. The position that the government has adopted is that we oppose these amendments. They would shorten the maxi­mum reporting period. A five-year maximum reporting period provides flexibility—for example, it avoids reporting costs at the beginning or end of a project when forest growth rates are slow. The scheme integrity is maintained because credits are issued only after abatement has been achieved. They are the reasons we are not supporting these amendments. However, we accept that in principle Senator Xenophon is endeavouring to improve the bill. But in this instead these amendments would shorten the maximum reporting period.